Electrical device and the manufacture thereof



Patented Aug. 16, 1927. y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. COHEN,.OF IIBRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICAL DEVICE AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF.

Application led August 14, 1924. Serial No. 731,970.

This invention relates to electrical devices' and in the form hereindisclosed as exemplary of the invention, it is shown as applied toheating units for cigar-lighters such as are used in motor vehicles forthe convenience of the driver and other occupants of the car.

Some of the objects of this invention' are to simplify the constructionof such devices, io reduce their cost of manufacture and to increasetheir eiiiciency. y

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings which show one form of the invention, thatat present preferred, v l

, Figure 1 is a longitudinalrsectional view of a heating unit made inaccordance with this invention, showing the parts thereof in assembledrelation.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing one of the solderless terminals of theheating unit shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing. the heat-ing element shown in Fig. 1, asit is made and before it is assembled with the other parts of theheating units.'v i Fig. 4 isa top plan unit shown in Fig. 1.

The heating unit shown inthe accompanying drawings may comprise abase'll of lava or other suitable material, having at its lower end aprojection 12 adapted to pass through an aperature 1 3 provided in aferrule 14: which is adapted to encircle the lower end of base 11 and,`when the parts are assembled, to be beaded over a shoulder 15 providedon the base 11 for this sole purpose by providing a circumferentialgroove 16 in the side of the base.

The upper or top portion 17 of the base 11 may, if desired, be recessedto provide .a pocket 18 for entirely or partially receiving the heatingelement or translating device which is preferably in the form of highresistance wire. A

When the heating unit is to be used in motor vehicles or other placeswhere the source view of the receiving of current is relatively low,approximatelyand usually six volts, it is possible to provide theresistance' in such form as to be located entirely on the top 17 withinan area substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of an ordinarycigar, and this may be done without necessitating the use of especiallyfine wire and without the use of extraneous resistance means to cut downthe voltage. In

such cases the resistance element or Atranslating device is preferablymade in the form of a flat or conical spiral adapted to lie in thepocket 18 at the top of the base 11.

However, in some motor vehicles, the ignition and lighting systemsutilize batteries of higher voltage, usually twelve volts. For use insuch systems, it has been necessary to provide additional resistancewire or material in the circuit in series with the heating ortranslatingelements to cut down the current to approximately six voltsacross theterminals of the heatingelements. The extra resistances used resulted ina direct loss of power, for the heat generated by it served no usefulpurpose. In some cases the extra resistance Wire had the disadvantageouseffect of heating the adjacent parts, particularly 1dwhere the adjacentparts were hand- To avoid these disadvantagearto increase the efficiencyof the heating unit, and to reduce the cost of manufacture, the presentinvention provides a heating element for twelve voltage storagebatteries in which no extraneous or separate resistance means is usedotherbthan the means which produces heat for the purpose of lighting thecigar.

One Way of accomplishing this is shown in .the accompanying drawing inwhich the heating or vtranslatingv element comprises a fiat spiralportion 19 and a helical portion 2O preferably made integral and woundon .a suitable form in a single operation. The helical portion 20 may beconcentric with the spiral ortion 19 if desired, or, it maybeeccentrically arranged. But, in order that the heat of the helicalportion 2O may be used to assist in igniting a cigar, the helicalportion 20 is located within the zone defined by the outermostconvolution of the spiral portion 19 which should conne an areasubstantially equal to that of the crosssectional area of an ordinarycigar.

To receive the helical portion 20, the base lliis provided with acylindrical pocket 21 communicating with the pocket 18, its top portion17 so that while the spiral portion 19 of the heating wire lies in thepocket 18, the

helical portion 20 may extend'into the cylindrical pocket 21, in thiscase extending down through the center of the body 11. The heatgenerated by the helical portion 2O thus `passes through the cylindricalpocket 21 to the end 17 of the body and with the heat produced by Athespiral portion 19 acts to -non 19. i

"By making the helical portion co-axial with the spiral portion .19 thevoperation'of winding the heating unit is greatly facilitated. Accordingto the preferred method, first the helical portion 20 is wound upon acylindrical core until the proper amount of wire is utilized and thenthe feed is stopped and the winding is continued so that the wire windsin the form of a spiral.

It should be noted that the portion 19 on the resistance wire may beother than spiral, if desired. In case ot such other shapes, however,the resistance is made to lie substantially iiat, and the plane in whichit lies is preferably perpendicular to the axis of the helical-portion20. l l

In vaddition to having thespiral portion 19 and the helical portion 20,the resistance wire is provided with a terminal 22 bent down from theoutermost end of the spiral 19, and a terminal 23 provided at the freeend of the helical 'portion 20. These terminals 22 and 23 are preferablyprovided as straight wires,'as shown in Fig. 3, so that when the heatingelement is assembled with the base 11, the terminal 22 may pass througha longitudinal wire-clearance opening 24 lprovided at the body 11 andextend-` ing through its other end, and so that wire 23 ymay passthrough a central openlng 25 provided in the projection 12 andcommunieating with the pocket 21.

Heretofore, the terminal 22 coming 4from the outer convolution of thespiral 19 was adapted to pass through a perforation in the ferrule 14 sothat it could be soldered to the external sizev of the latter, anoperation which materially added to the cost of producing the device.

To avoid the necessity ot'k soldering the terminal 22 to the ferrule 14Lthe end ofthe terminal 22 is, according to 'the present invention, bentupwardly around the body 11, as shown in Fig. 1, Apreferably with itsend extending into the circumferential groove 16.

After the terminal 22 is bent into this position, the ferrule 14 whichis then slid over the end of the body 11 has its end beadedover into thecircumferential groove 16. This beading operation securely clinches theend of the terminal 22 to the terrule and makes a good permanentelectrical contact therewith. l

To provide a solderless connection for the terminal 23 of resistancewire, a metal plug '27 having a cylindrical portion 28 adapted to beinserted in the opening 25 in the body 11,.is provided with awire-clearance passage 29 through which lthe terminal 23 is adapted toloosely pass. In assembling the device, the plug 27 is placed in theopening 25 so that `the terminal 23 extends through it and then pressureisbroughtito bea- Aon the head 30 of the plug 27 so as to defofrxn` thehead .and wim-passage 29 and Cause'v it to securely clinch the wire ofthe terminal 23, as shown at 31, Fig. 1. The end of the wire protrudingbeyond the plug 27 is then cut-off in any suitable way.

The ferrule 14 may be provided with screw-threads so as to fit ascrew-threaded socket or, as shown, it may be provided with pins 32 bymeans of which the heating unit may be held in a bayonet-slot typesocket.

It should be noted that the method and means for connecting theterminals of the heating element-so as to avoid the use of solder may,of course, be used independently of its particular kind of heatingdevice shown.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements vmay be used without others.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed'as new, and forwhich it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:

' l. As a new article of manufacture, a heating wire adapted to beinserted as an integral unit in a supporting body of an igniting device,comprising a spiral portion and a helical portion contiguous with thespiral portion, the diameter of the helical portion being substantiallyless than the diameter of the spiral portion.

2. A heating uni-t comprising a body having a longitudinally disposedpocket therein and in direct communication with one end of the body; anda translating device comprising a high-resistance wire which has aportion formed to lieupon one end of the body and another portionadapted to lie in said pocket, the'heat from saidportion lying insaidpocket rising to the area defined by the portion lying upon one endof the body.-

3. A heating unit comprising a body having a longitudinally disposedpocket therein and in direct communication with one end of the body;anda translating device com.-

prising a high-resistance wire having a substantially fiat, spiralportion adapted to lie upon the end of the body and a helical portionadapted to lie in the pocket, the heat developed by said helical portionrising to the zone defined by said spiral portion.

4. An electrical device comprising a body; a translatingdevice mountedin the body and having terminal. portions; and a contact on the body toreceive the other of said terminal portions, the last named contactcomprising a metal plug adapted to t within an opening in said body andhaving a previ., ously prepared `wir,e-clearance passa for saidterminal, said plu being adapte to be mechanically deforme to clinchitself to the terminal and make electrical contact therewith.

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body adapted to receive one of lsaid terminall portions/H said contactcomprising means adapted to engage a portion of the body and adapted toclinch between the body and itself. in electrical conta'ct therewith,the said terminal portion lof the translating device with which it isrelated; and another contact in said body comprising a metal plug adapted t0 fit Within an opening in the said body and having a previouslyprepared Wirecleara'nce passage therethrough, said `plug being adaptedto be mechanically deformed to confine to itself said terminal portionwith whichit is engaged.

6. A terminal member for electrical de# vices, comprising a metal plughaving a wire Y,clearance passage therethrough and adapted to fit withinan opening in a bodyl portion of electrical devices, sald plug be,`

ing adapted to be deformed to confine to itself, a wire passing throughsaid Wire'clearance passage. f

Signed at Bridgeport, yin the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, this 13th day of August, 1924.

' JOSEPH H. COHEN.

